Overshoe-retainer.



'T. C. RIDGE.

OVERSHOE RETAINER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13. 1912.

1 173,864. Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

THOMAS C. RIDGE, OF CARTI-IAGE, ILLINOIS.

OVERSHOE-RETAINER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

Application filed July 13, 1912. Serial No. 709,189.

To all tohozm it may concern l 3e it known that I, THOMAS C. RIDGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Carthage, in the county of Hancock and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Overshoe-Retainers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to devices adapted to sustain an overshoe upon a boot or shoe.

The device may be classed as an integral part of an overshoe, rubber or arctic, as it can be made a permanent or continuous part of the upper portion of the overshoe, rubber or arctic, when the overshoe, rubber or arctic is in process of manufacture; or, the device may be classed as an overshoe, rubber or arctic attachment, as it can be attached individually to any rubber, overshoe or arctic by the individual wearer thereof.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a neat, inexpensive. easily adjusted, durable and thoroughly eflicient overshoe, rubber or arctic retainer, which, when in use will, under all conditions operate positively and without discomfort to the wearer thereof, and which may be employed for retaining separately any number of overshoes, rubbers, etc.

I also aim to provide a device which will obviate the present necessity of purchasing an overshoe, rubber or arctic of the exact size of the ordinary shoe, the device permitting of the use of overshoes of a larger size than the walking shoe, thus overcoming a great amount of the severe drawing of the rubber upon the shoe, as well as overcoming the necessary stretching of the overshoe in arranging the same upon the walking shoe, thus materially adding to the life of the overshoe.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a retainer which will hold both overshoe and oxford when the two articles are worn together or separately.

With the above recited objects in view and others which will appear as the nature of the invention is more fully understood, the improvement resides in the construction, combination and operative arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and pointed out with particularity in the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating my improvement in applied position to sustain an overshoe upon a walking shoe. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view taken through the improvement and a portion of the shoe and overshoe. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the overshoe provided with my improvement. Fig. 4 is a sectional view upon the line H of Fig. 3. Fig 5 is a detail perspective view of the innor member of the attaching device. Fig. 6 1s a bottom plan view of the cap. Fig. 7 1s a perspective view of one of the screws. Fig. 8 is a detail fragmentary view illustrating the manner of connecting the plates to one another.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral 1 designates an ordinary walking shoe, and 2 the rubber, overshoe or arctic which is fitted upon the shoe to protect the shoe and the wearer of the shoe. Connected to the overshoe 2, and at the rear portion thereof is a strap 3. The said strap being made of leather, rubberized cloth, or any other suitable material, and in turn, connected with the band or strap 4, which is also made of leather, rubberized cloth, or any other suitable material, either to match that used in strap 3 or not, as convenience demands, the said band 4 being adapted to encircle the upper of the shoe and to be secured thereon either above or below the ankle, to suit the wearer. The band is, of course, adapted to be securely retained upon the shoe, and it is evident that with such a structure the overshoe will be sustained against accidental removal from the walking'shoe, but will also permit of the removal of the overshoe from the walking shoe when desired.

In positioning my device upon an overshoe of the ordinary make, I have found it desirable to form the strap 3 of a width sufiicient to receive securing devices which are arranged on the opposite sides of the seam in the heel of the shoe; in this connection I have further found it desirable to provide a lock which comprises a pair of inner plates 5, each of which having formed thereon or otherwise secured thereto a pair of spaced inwardly threaded sleeves 6. The look also comprises a pair of outer plates 7, each of which being formed with spaced openings 9, the metal adjacent the said openings being slitted radially to provide a plurality of spring tongues.

The numerals 10 designate bolts of a size sufficient to snugly engage within the threaded sleeves 6, each of the said bolts being provided adjacent its outer end with an annular groove 11, the outer end comprising the head 12 being slitted for the reception of a turning instrument, such as a screw driver or the like. The spring fingers provided adjacent the openings 9 of the plates 7 are adapted to be spread when the bolt is passed through the openings and to engage within the recess 11, and to contact with the shoulders provided thereby for securely retaining the bolts upon the plates.

The fingers, which may be designated by the numeral 13, perform the function of compressing the outer surface of the overshoe so that accidental removal of the look from the overshoe is effectively prevented. The strap 3 is formed with suitable openings through which are passed the sleeves 6 of the lock, the said strip, in Fig. 1 of the drawings, being shown applied to the inner portion of the heel of the overshoe. The band a is centrally provided with a knob 16, the same being of a size suflicient to snugly engage within the bore of the catch 14, and to be retained therein through the medium of the spring members 15. The knob 16 is provided with a threaded bore, and in order to sustain the said knob upon the outer face of the band 4, I provide a headed screw 17, which passes through a suitable opening in the band and which coacts with the knob. One of the ends of the band is provided with an additional stud 18, while the opposite end of the'said band is provided with suitable spaced openings fitted with metal eyelets 19 which provide eyes to receive the stud 18. The band 4 is further provided with suitable loops 20 through which the free end of the band, or that portion not engaged by the knob is adapted to pass whereby the said band'will lie flatly against the walking shoe. From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the simplicity of the device, as well as the advantages thereof, will, it is thought, be perfectly apparent to those skilled in the art to which such inventions appertain without further detailed description.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is i A strap fastenerfor overshoes comprising a pair of plates, a pair of spaced interiorly threaded sleeves formed on said plates, another pair of plates having spaced openings being slitted radially to, provide locking tongues, the openings in the last named plates adapted to register with the sleeves of the first named plates, and means having a recess adapted to pass through the openings of one pair of plates and within the sleeves of the other pair of plates, for securing the former mentioned plates to the exterior sur face of the overshoe and the latter mentioned plates to the interior surface of'the overshoe. the locking tongues of said opening'sadapted to snap into the recess of said last named means for'preventing any retrograde movement of the latter.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS C. RIDGE. Witnesses:

JACOB S. PALMER, JOHN H. ABBOTT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

